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Daily Wire Tip Nov. 28: What is Tibetan Silver?

By on November 28, 2009
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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip

Question:

What is Tibetan Silver?  Is this another name for silver plated?

Answer:

Honestly I had never heard of ‘Tibetan’ silver when referring to my medium of wire, so I did some research and this is what I discovered: many years ago, ‘Tibet Silver’ described entirely handcrafted, very fine silver pieces created by silversmiths in the region it was named for.  You have probably seen this type of fine silver work called “Hill Tribe” or “Thai” silver, however like a lot of other things today, modern ‘Tibetan’ silver is manufactured in other countries and may contain a variety of metals such as zinc, pewter, copper, tin along with a small percentage of actual pure silver. Today this type of silver product is mainly used to create jewelry components.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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3 Comments

  1. avatar

    Jessie Adams

    November 29, 2009 at 1:25 am

    Hi,
    When I hear the term Tibetan Silver what comes to mind is the hand crafted silver beads from Tibet and the surrounding area. These are usually hand made with a great deal of detail including latticework and other decoration, usually made with 85% silver some are 40% but look kind of brassy. They are usually pretty pricey too running from $1 to $8 a piece.
    Have fun.
    Jessie

  2. avatar

    Pam Glendinning

    November 29, 2009 at 9:02 pm

    Dale,
    What you mentioned reminded me: many Tibetans left the area when Communism arrived, taking their art with them. Hence “Tibetan” coming from different places today, along with the old local pieces you also find. It’s not too hard to spot the real thing, however. Of course, if you are “hunting” for a real old piece of jewelry, pendant, bead, etc, this just makes it much more fun!
    Pam

  3. avatar

    mary

    November 30, 2009 at 9:40 am

    The majority of Tibetan Silver, comes these days from Nepal due to the political situation existing in Tibet with regards to China’s occupation of the country.

    Tibetan pieces are larger in size with a more rustic, almost unfinished look to them. Silver and copper are used as well as some gold. Turquoise and coral are favorites as we all know but other gemstone materials are used as well as yak bone. Since Tibet is a Buddhist nation, religion is reflected strongly in the style of jewelry pieces. Tibetans use jewelry as a means to keep in close contact with their deities.